Yardstick calculator.



No. 630,005. Patented Aug. I, |899. v

E. PRAEGER.

YABDSTICK 'CALCULATUFL (Application filed Oct. 13, 1898.)

(Nu Model.)

mmmm

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. y

FVAIID PRAEGER, OF -SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

YARDSTICK CALCU LATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,005, dated .August1, 1899-. Application filed October 13, 1898. Serial No. 693,413. (Nomodel.)

zen of the United States, residing at San Antonic7 in the county ofBexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful YardstickCalculator, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to a calculating-yardstick adapted for use inconnection with drygoods or other business wherein goods are sold bylinear measurement; and the object in view is to provide in connectionwith a linear measuring scale or rule an indicating device provided witha plurality of pricescales having relation to the measuring-scale andadapted to indicate the price of a given length of an article at a givenprice per unit of measure and also adapted to indicate the length of anarticle of a given price which may be sold for a given amount, thedevice thus constructed being adapted to be countersunk in and arrangedwith its upper surface flush with the surface of a counter or table andbeing provided upon its upper surface with projections or knobsindicating fractional parts of a yard or other unit of measure.

The particular object of my present invention, which consists in animprovement upon the construction shown and described in my formerpatent, No. 566,867, granted September 1, 1896, is to provide means forsupporting the extremities of the yardstick or other measuring rule orscale with relation to the price-indicating web or device and also forsecuring the yardstick in a xed position in a counter or table.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly `pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a measuring deviceconstructed in accordance with my invention, the same being showncountersunk in the surface of a counter or table. Fig. 2 is a similarview of one end of the measuring device detached from the counter. Fig.3 is a similar view of the other end. Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinalsection. Fig. 5 is an end view, partly broken away to show the means forcommunicating motion to the web-carrying rolls or drums.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views in perspective of the end platesdetached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all thefigures of the drawings.

l designates a measuring scale or rule which in the constructionillustrated consists of a yardstick recessed to form a hollow case, inthe interior or cavity of which is arranged a price-indicating device 2,consisting of a continuous web of iieXible material which is visiblethrough an inspection-slot 3, extending longitudinally of the scale orrule, whereby the numerals 011 said indicating device, which representdifferent prices per yard or other unitr of measurement7 may be broughtcontiguous to the gradnations of the measuring scale or rule. In theconstruction illustrated the web is carried by rollers or drums 4 and 5,mounted at their extremities in bearings in the end walls of the casingand preferably provided with terminal trunnious 7 to fit in saidbearings. Furthermore, the rolls or drums are provided near one end andin a common ltransverse plane with pinions 8 and 9, engaged by anoperating or master gear 10, whereby simultaneous motion in a commondirection may be communicated to the two rolls or drums to advance theindicatingweb in the desired direction.

The end walls of the yardstick illustrated in the drawings consist ofplates 11 and 12, preferably of metal, having inwardly-extending sideears 13, arranged in contact with the inner surfaces yof the side wallsof the casing and adapted to besecured in place by means of screws 14,extending through said side walls and engaging openings in the ears.Also these end plates are anged inwardly at their upper edges, as shownat 15, to overlap the upper edges of the side walls, and at the inneredges of these flanges are formed raised thumb-ribs 1t', which serve asguides to the fingers ofthe clerk in measuring off yards or fractions ofyards of such materials as ribbon, dress-goods, muslin, duc. Also theupper surface of the measuring scale or rule is provided at intervalswith slightly-projecting knobs 17, forming guides whereby fractionalparts of a yard or other unit of measurement may be measured withoutVisual reference to the measuring scale or rule. Also the end IOO platesof the construction illustrated are extended outwardly at their upperedges flush with the said inwardly-extending flanges to formsecuring-ears 18, having screw-holes 19 and adapted to be arranged Hushwith the upper surface of a counter or table in con-- neetion with whichthe-scale or rule is used. The thumb-ribs at the inner edges of thehorizont-al flanges of the end plates are preferably made ushwith the`upper surface of the measuring scale or rule, whereby they projectsufficiently above the surface of the counter or table to enable theoperator to readily discover the same bythe sense of feeling in themeasurement of fiexible goods. Also extending inwardly from thehorizontal flanges of the end plates are lugs 2O for terminallysupporting the parts of the top wall of the measuring scale or rule andpreventing downward pressure exerted upon said top from displacing thesame.

It will be understood that any suitable system of graduations may beemployed upon the web and also that the graduations of the scale or rulemay be in accordance with any desired system, neither of said pointsforming a part of my present invention, and also that various changes inthe form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A linear measuringdevice or rule comprising a hollow bar provided with end Wallsconsisting of plates having inwardly-extending ears, means for securingthe side walls of the bar to said ears, securing-ears arranged paralleland approximately flush with the upper surface of the bar and extendingoutwardly from said end plates, a price-indicating device havingparallel rolls or dru ms and a continuous web connecting said rolls andarranged Within the hollow bar for exposure through a longitudinalinspection-slot in the upper wall thereof, and means for simultaneouslyadvancing the rolls or drums in a common direction, substantially asspecified.

2. 'A linear measuring device or rule comprising a hollow bar providedwith metallic end plates, side Walls terminally secured to the endplates, supporting lugs extending inwardly from said end Walls, asectional top wall supported by the upper edges of the side walls andsaid lugs and separated at their conf tiguous edges to form aninspection-slot, and a price-indicatin g device having parallellongitudinally-disposed rolls or drums mounted in the bar and carrying acontinuous web adapted to be advanced transversely in either directionto brin gdifferent portions of its surface into view through saidinspection-slot, substantially as specified.

3. A linear measuring device 0r rule com-v prising a hollow bar, and aprice-indicating device having parallel rolls or drums mounted withinsaid bar and carrying a continuous web adapted to be advancedtransversely to bring different portions of its surface into viewthrough a longitudinal inspection-slot in the top wall of the bar, saidbar being provided at the extremities of its measuring scale or rulewith raised transverse thumb-ribs, of which the outer sides arecoincidental with the initial and terminal points of themeasuring-scale, substantially as specified.

4. A linear measuring device or rule com prising a hollow bar, and aprice-indicating y device having parallel rolls ordrums mounted Withinsaid bar and carrying a continuous web adapted to be advancedtransversely to bring different portions of its surface into viewthrough a longitudinal inspection-slot in the top wall of the bar, saidbar being provided at the extremities of its measuring scale or rulewith raised transverse thumb-ribs, of which the outer sides arecoincidental with the initial and terminal points of themeasuring-scale, and intermediate spaced projections or knobs arrangedat intervals corresponding with fractional parts of the unit ofmeasurement of said rule, and disposed in the transverse planes,respectively, of the scale graduations indicating said fractionalmeasurements, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing a my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in l the presence of two witnesses.

EVVALD PRAEGER.

Vtitnesses:

C. M. KINGSLEY, B. EARLY.

